Erich Brost Institute for international journalism

Over the past 3 years the media coverage on boat migrants and Lampedusa’s landings has shaped and framed a representation of that reality that is at odds with the actual facts. Beyond the rhetoric of invasion and assistance, all of us, as media consumers, have been heavily exposed to the radiations of an insecurity instilling narrative.

There’s no way around it: this is not just the usual suburban area of the usual German town. Different tints, dress codes, and haircuts reveal that most of the people around do not fall into the German ideal type. We park the car while some veiled women cross the road. A few meters away a couple of grey doorsteps lead us to the building main entrance: we ring the bell, the doors open and we approach the hall. The yellow painted concrete bordering our way up discloses the social housing project behind the environment around us. We finally get to Habiba’s apartment.

Drawing from field work at the local Somali community based in Florence (Italy), in this post I discuss old and new diasporic flows on the background of the on-going European ‘migration crisis’. While the appellations Vecchie Lire and Titanic exemplify distinctive migratory patterns, they also signal a dramatic change in local and global migration determinants. Within this new scenario the legal framework still in force in Europe proves quite inadequate. I argue that the difference between forced and voluntary migration is ill-defined: the ‘space’ in-between is the question to be addressed.

Micro-level, decentralised Accoglienza Diffusa is the predominant approach to the ‘management’ of the migratory flows from the ‘Central Mediterranean Route’ adopted in Italy: this posts discusses the system in the Mugello sub-region (Tuscany). Migrants’ and asylum seekers’ motivations and expectations are de facto not taken into consideration, while the European legal framework is still forced onto a reality mismatch. As a result the ‘Centres of Temporary Assistance’ (CAS) become the last stage of an (economically) unsustainable process, whose actual beneficiaries are not the migrants themselves. In the majority of cases their applications are rejected and they are supposed to return ‘home’.

Research on Diaspora and migrations has never scrutinized social remittances from a development communication (DevCom) perspective. This study, drawing from the social remittance theory (Levitt) and the DevCom theory, is an analysis of the quality of the transfers spontaneously linking a western-based Somali Diaspora community - having an Italian background - to its counterpart back home. First, I discuss the peculiar social and academic relevance of the Somali-Italian Diaspora at the Age of Migrations (Castles et al. 2014), and in the Somali context. Then I put forward that social remittances as exchanged by Somalis at diasporic and interpersonal level can be appraised as a form of DevCom, or more neutrally, Communication for Social Change (CfSC). This new dimension adds to DevCom’s dominant understandings so far, while surpassing Enghel’s (2014) systematisation: as a research field, as an institutional project, and as a professional practice. Resorting to ethnography and semi-structured interviews, representatives from full-time and part-time Diaspora, as well as Returnees, are studied in their actual and potential engagement towards their home country. Investigations explore social change and ‘development’ visions, and how they imbue unintentional or purposeful communication flows, for which the coinage bottom-bottom dynamics is proposed. The study argues that, although spontaneously and in different extents, Diaspora members qualify as unofficial development agents and communicators in their country of origin.
Yet, these visions often embody, as well, the transpositions into a desirable future of past memories about life and ‘development’ as experienced by Diaspora members in the period predating their departure. Hence, a real or mythical past, which antecedes the conservative and reactionary trend embraced by the country in the last 25 years, is intertwined with new ‘social change’ idea(l)s and spaces of the self as experienced abroad. Gender issues, stances on Islam, technical skills, ideas of democracy, work ethic, and so on, articulate these visions on the backdrop of the on going – and often lamented - national and regional radicalisation process. Within this framework, and as a recurring trait across the Somali Italian Diaspora, looking back also means looking forward. At the same time challenges, communication practices, and adopted strategies, vary markedly depending on the space variable (full-time or part-time Diaspora, Returnees).

Research on migration and development has never scrutinized social remittances from a development communication (DevCom) perspective. This study, drawing from the social remittance theory and the development communication theory, is an analysis of the quality of the transfers spontaneously linking a western-based Somali Diaspora community (Florence, Italy) to its counterparts back home. After having discussed Diasporas’ social and academic relevance at the age of migrations, the research puts forward that DevCom as practiced at diffused and individual level can be appraised as a form of social remittance, well beyond DevCom dominant understandings so far: namely as the Institutional Project, the Professional Practice, or the Field of Study (Enghel 2015). Resorting to in-depth interviews and focus groups, representatives from full-time Diaspora, part-time Diaspora, and Returnees (Hammond 2011) are then studied in their actual and potential communication transfers. Investigations are meant to explore social change and development visions at this level and how they imbue de facto or purposeful communication flows, for which the coinage bottom-bottom dynamics is proposed. The study argues that, although spontaneously and in different extents, Diaspora members qualify as development/social change agents and communicators in their country of origin. Moreover, empirical evidence shows that nature and contents of the communicative remittances tend to replicate patterns and paradigm typical of the modernization theory, and of the diffusion model. By doing so the research revives an old debate within the disciple while shifting the focus onto overlooked, transnational, and diffused agents of change.

Drawing from the social remittance theory and the development communication theory, this study appreciates ‘Italian’ Somali Diaspora members as communicators for social change in their home country. Representatives from full-time and part-time Diaspora, as well as Returnees, are investigated in their background and as bearers of a social change capital, which was shaped during the post-independence’s modernisation era as well as along diasporic trajectories. Today, in their bottom-bottom engagements with those left behind, these agents are challenged by a deeply transformed cultural context. The lamented reactionary trend embraced by many Somalis in the last 25 years has resulted in diffused conformity, fear, and distrust. Within this clash of outlooks, ‘Italian’ Somali Diaspora members need to adopt a communication strategy that is compliant with the apparently hegemonic religious and political culture. Only by keeping this low profile they can silently advocate for change.

While Italy has become one of the main access gate to Europe, a large part of the migratory flows originating from the Central Mediterranean Route proves to be mixed in nature, in between voluntary and forced relocation. Yet, the reception system in place obstinately mistakes all migrants for mere refugees, apparently against their own interests, as it is shown in the procedure of the ricorso (appeal). This striking paradox reflects an approach to the so called migratory crisis that has a seamless racialist foundation all along the way.